Combined paper-weight and automatic moistener.



L. F. BAUM & N. MASSIE;

COMBINED PAPER WEIGHT AND AUTOMATIC MOISTENER.

APPLIOATION FILED NOV. 13, 1912,

In lullllll. H

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Patented Dec. 9, 1913.

l/VVE/VTORS 7 Louis FBaum & Mclzolas Massz'e ATTORNEY,

WITNESSES.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

LOUIS F. BAUM AND NICHOLAS MASSIE, OF KANSAS CITY, MISSOURI.

COMBINED PAPER-WEIGHT AND AUTOMATIC MOISTENER.

Application filed November 13, 1912.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that we, LOUIS F. BAUM and NICHOLAS Maseru, citizens of the United States, residing at Kansas City, in the county of Jackson and State of Missouri, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Combined PaperlVeights and Automatic Moisteners, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to a combined paper-weight and automatic moistener, and provides a device which is adapted to be used in banks, post-offices, business oflices, factories, shipping rooms, and in fact any place where stamps or labels are affixed, money counted, or many papers handled, such as sales checks. The device is adapted for moistening the fingers of cashiers, tellers, etc., and also for applying moisture to labels and envelop flaps.

In order that the invention may be fully understood, reference will now be made to the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure l is a perspective view of a preferred form of the device, showing a labelmoistening attachment in position; Fig. 2 is a perspective view of the moisture pad and its holder, the pad being partly in section; Fig. 3 is a vertical sectional view of the complete device; Fig. 4 is a perspective view of the detachable bottom-plate.

In Figs. 1 and 3, numeral 1 denotes the outer case and water reservoir, which as shown is made from sheet metal and comprises the longitudinal sides 1, the ends 2, a raised bottom 3, and a top 4. In the top 1- is a rectangular opening for the reception of the pad 5 and its holder 6. The sides 1 are provided with outwardly turned base flanges 7 The bottom plate 8, seen detached in Fig. 4, is formed with inwardly turned hook flanges 9, forming grooves adapted to receive the flanges 7, which fit therein as shown. The plate 8 is provided with tackor screw-holes 10, so that it may be fastened to a desk, board, or counter. Otherwise the device, either withor without the plate 8, may be used as a paper-weight.

The pad holder 6 is U-shaped in cross-section and comprises the perforated sides 6, and the bottom 12, and is open at the ends and top thereof. Its upper longitudinal edges are rolled to form beads 13, through which a wire 14L, extends; the transverse parts of said wire forming supports for the Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Dec. 9, 1913. Serial No. 731,124.

ends of a longitudinal wire 15, whose ends are fixed by solder or otherwise to said transverse parts. The wire 15 serves to support the pad 5, which is made of a suitable absorbent and smooth material, such as felt or a stack of muslin cloths. This pad is folded double and inserted in the holder astride the supporting wire, which thus causes the pad to project in convex form above the holder.

lVhen the holder is placed within the case 1, the beads 13 support the former by resting upon the edges of the aperture in the top.

To prevent the holder from canting or moving within the case, and to retain it more securely, the inner face of each end wall 2 of the case is provided with a pair of vertical flanges 16 that touch the ends of the holder; see Fig. 8.

To prepare the moistener for use, a suit-- able amount of water is placed in the reservoir 1, and the pad and holder inserted therein. By previously soaking the pad in water, the water in the case may be made to last longer without refilling.

The mode of using the pad for moistening stamps or envelop flaps will be understood.

When moistening large stickers or gummed labels, some difficulty might be found in wetting the gum uniformly over the surface of each sheet. To obviate any such difficulty, we have devised a simple attachment by means of which a uniform moistening may easily be effected. In a preferred form it consists of a member movably supported above the pad and adapted, when depressed by the operator, to press the label or sticker against the pad. For this purpose a piece of wire 18, having a longitudinal straight portion, and downwardly bent end portions 18 (Fig. 1) each of which is, when in operative position, slid ably supported by and in a guide tube 19, secured to the case wall 2. Mounted upon the horizontal portion of wire 18 is an antifriction roller 18. Tube 19 has a bottom upon which rests a helical expansion-spring 20, the two springs (one not shown) normally holding the horizontal part 18 abovethe pad. When the pad is being used for other than label or sticker work the attachment 18-18 would desirably be left off. When about to moisten the class of articles referred to, insert the ends 18 in the guides 19, pass one edge of the label between the roller 18*, and the pad, depress the part 18 so as to bring the paper into firm contact with the pad, then, by drawing the label through, every part of its lower face will be contacted and moistened by the pad. The member 18-18"will be automatically raised by the springs 20.

Various modifications, not herein mentioned, fall within the spirit and scope of this invention.

Having described our invention, we claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent:

1. In a device of the kind described, an outer case, a pad projecting above the case, and an attachment comprising an inverted U shaped wire, tubular guides on said case, lifting-springs in said guides, the legs of saidv Wire being slidably mountable in said guides, andv said wire having a portion thereof parallel with the surface of the pad and normally held thereabove.

2. In a: device of the kind described, an outer case, a pad projecting above the case, and anattachment comprising an inverted U shapedwire, an antifriction roller mounted on saidwire, tubular guides on said case, lifting-springs in said guides, the legs of said Wire being slidably mountable in said guides, and said wire having a portion thereof parallel with the surface of the pad and normally held thereabove.

3. In a device of the character described, a rectangular reservoir having a longitudinal opening in its top portion, vertical guides extending inwardly from the ends of said reservoir, a holder adapted to extend down through the opening in the reservoir and engage the guides therein, and a moistening pad within said holder and projecting above the upper portion thereof and the a reservoir.

4. In a device of the character described,

a rectangular reservoir having a longitudinal opening in its top portion,v a perfo-- rated U-shaped holder adapted to extend down through the opening in the reservoir and provided with. beads along its upper edges which rest on top of said: reservoir" Zand thereby support the holder, a rectangu- Elar wire extending through said beads and uniting the oppositely-disposed endsthereof, a wire arranged centrally between the ;beads and rigidly connected at its ends to isaid rectangular wire, anda pad folded: over jthe centrally disposed wire and extending; idownward into the holder, substantially as; described.

In testimony whereof weaflix our. signatures, in the presence of two witnesses.

LOUIS F. BAUM. NICHOLAS MASSIE. Witnesses:

F. Gr. FISCHER, L. J. FISCHER;

Copies of thispat'ent' may be'obtained tor five-cents each; by addressing'thei Commissioner of'ratents; Washington, D. G.'' 

